He appeared in 98 La Liga games over five seasons (14 goals), representing Racing de Santander, Rayo Vallecano, Murcia, Almería and Mallorca.

He showed early promise while playing for Spain at youth level, winning the 1999 Meridian Cup with the under-17 team and also appearing at the 1998 UEFA European Under-16 Championship (third place).

[12] Fully recovered, Álvarez went on to be a very important team player, despite a poor year collectively in 2005–06 that almost ended in another relegation – he also established himself as a free kick specialist.

[20] After an irregular spell in Andalusia, especially after the arrival of manager Hugo Sánchez, Álvarez was released hours before the transfer deadline in August 2009, and moved to RCD Mallorca shortly after.

[21] On 23 July 2010, after helping the Balearic Islands side to finish fifth and qualify for the UEFA Europa League,[22] the 29-year-old signed a three-year contract with CD Tenerife, who had in turn been relegated from the top division.

On 14 October 2011, after switching allegiance to his country of birth, the 30-year-old made his debut for Venezuela in a 1–0 home win against Argentina for the 2014 FIFA World Cup qualifiers.